Rastafari

The Rastafari movement ("Rastafarianism" is considered to be a Babylon -ism, an offensive term) is a Jamaican religion that believes that Emperor Haile Selassie I of Abyssinia is Jah, their translation of the Hebrew name for God, Yahweh. The movement was founded in 1930 shortly after Haile Selassie's coronation, and the movement has historically supported pan-Africanist social movements. The Rastafari movement believes that some of the messages of the Bible have been corrupted, and Rastafarians - who claim Jewish descent - adhere to Biblical dietary laws, refusing to eat pork or shellfish; Rastafarians also refrain from consuming alcohol, and they believe that marijuana should be used for spiritual purposes. Rastafarians believe that Ethiopia is Zion, the birthplace of humanity, and that reaching Zion can be done mentally and emotionally in addition to physically. By 1997, 1,000,000 people followed the Rastafari faith, with many of them being from the Caribbean. The popularity of reggae music and marijuana has led to the Rastafari faith becoming a significant minor religion since the 1970.